Display device

ABSTRACT

A self-supporting tubular, geometrical product display and/or advertising device formed of a sheet of foldable material, such as, posterboard, cardboard and the like, having at least four sides each providing a plurality of display surfaces or areas, and simulating a plurality of non-aligned rectangular blocks, cartons, boxes, or the like, placed one upon another.

United States Patent Lane 51 Apr. 11, 1972 [54] DISPLAY DEVICE 1,822,571 9/1931 Einson ..40/126 A Inventor: John Lane, 10359 Longview Dr" Kimand, 1,392,337 10/1921 Kay ..40/ 126 A Ohio 44094 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1 1 Filed! y 1970 995,721 8/1951 France... ..40/126 A [21] AppL NOJ 37,092 434,888 9/1935 Great Br1tam ..40/ 126 A Primary ExaminerRobert W. Michell 52] US. Cl. ..40/126 A, 161/99, 161/109, Assistant Examiner-Richard Carter 156/250, 156/204 Attorney-Watts, Hoffmann, Fisher & Heinke [51] Int. Cl. ..G09f1/06 [58] Field of Search ..229/8, 37; 40/126 A; 93/1; [57] ABSTRACT 161/99 109; 204 A self-supporting tubular, geometrical product display and/or advertising device formed of a sheet of foldable material, such [56] References and as, posterboard, cardboard and the like, having at least four UNITED STATES PATENTS sides each providing a plurality of display surfaces or areas, and simulating a plurality of non-aligned rectangular blocks, 2,330,287 9/ 1943 Horr ..40/126 A canons, boxes, or the like, placed one upon another 1,454,038 5/1923 Carter ..40/126 A 1,958,569 5/1934 Einson ..40/126 A 4 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures l 58 c 61 10 I c at I 55 9d 26a {F 1 '56 72 lm 5 a 551,-

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DISPLAY DEVICE FIELD OF THE IN VENTION The present invention relates to geometrical product display and/or advertising devices and more particularly to a tubular device, either straight or pyramidical shaped, formed from foldable board material.

PRIOR ART Displays and/or advertising devices made of foldable board material are known, but are relatively unattractive, expensive, and/or difficult to produce.

SUMMARY INVENTION The present invention provides an attractive, inexpensive, geometrical, tubular display and/or advertising device, and more particularly a product display and/or advertising device, having a plurality of rectangular display and/or advertising areas or surfaces in different planes and/or offset from one another on each of at least four sides of the device. The device is formed from a single sheet of foldable material, such as, posterboard, cardboard, or the like, cut and scored in such a manner that when folded it has the appearance of at least two cubes or three dimensional articles positioned irregularly one beside another.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a partly folded poster-board sheet cut and scored to embody the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the sheet shown in FIG. 1, but in a more completely folded position;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the completed device looking at what might be referred to as the front side;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the device shown in FIG. 3 looking at the rear side; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a device similar to the device of FIGS. 3 and 4 but of modified construction.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT While the invention may be incorporated in different display and/or advertising devices, it is herein shown, in FIGS. 1 to 4, as incorporated in a product merchandizing display and/or advertising device A simulating or having the appearance of five, like small rectangular blocks or cartons or boxes B1 to B5, such as, by way of example, boxes or cartons used to merchandise film for a 35mm camera, stacked irregularly one upon the other.

The display A is formed of a single sheet of foldable board material, designated generally by the reference character C, comprising a rectangular body portion having bottom, top and left and right-hand edges 12, 14, 16 and 18, respectively. The body portion of the sheet C is provided with four pairs of two aligned cuts or slits, designated 20a and 20b, 22a and 22b, 24a and 24b, and 26a and 26b. The pairs of slits are duplicates of one another and in addition to the slits of each pair being tandemly arranged and parallel with the bottom and top edges 12, 14 of the sheet, are spaced from one another and inwardly from the side edges 12, 13 of the sheet. The slits 20a, 20b are spaced above the bottom edge 10 of the sheet and the pairs of slits are spaced the same distance from one another as the distance that the bottom pair 20a, 20b is spaced from the bottom edge 10 of the sheet. The top pair of slits 26a, 26b is spaced a like distance below the top edge 11 of the sheet.

The body portion of the sheet C is also provided with a plurality or series of score lines, in the present instance five series. Each of the five series contains four score lines, designated 30a to 30d, 32a to 32d, 34a to 34d, 36a to 36d and 38a to 38d, respectively. The score lines are all at right angles or normal to the lower edge 10 of the sheet, and the score lines of alternate series are offset toward the right or left of the series immediately thereabove and therebelow.

The lower ends of the score lines 30a to 30d of the bottom series tenninate at the bottom edge 10 of the sheet and at their upper ends at the lower row of slits. The score line 30a terminates at or in the slit 20a at a point spaced to the right of the left-hand end of the slit. The score line 30b terminates at the right-hand end of the slit 20a. The score line 30c terminates at the slit 20a intermediate its ends and the score line 30d terminates at the right-hand end of the slit 20b. The score lines 34a to 34d and the score lines 380 to 38d are in line with the score lines 30a to 30d, respectively, and terminate at the slits 22a and 22b, 24a and 24b, and 26a and 26b, at points therein corresponding to the places or points where the score lines 30a to 30d terminate in the slits 20 a, 20b.

The score line 32a terminates at the left-hand end of the slits 20a, 22a. The score line 32b terminates at the slits 20a, 22a at points intermediate the ends thereof, and in the embodiment shown slightly closer to the right-hand ends of the slits than the the left-hand ends thereof. The score line 320 terminates at the left-hand end of the slits 20b, 22b and the score line 32d terminates at the slits 20b, 22b intermediate the ends thereof. The score line 36a to 3611 are in line with the score line 32a to 32d and terminates at locations or points in the slits 24a, 24b and 26a, 26b corresponding to the points at which the respective score lines 320 to 32d terminate in the slits 20a, 20b and 22a, 22b. The two halves of the blank thus far described on opposite sides of the center line 39 are mirrow images of one another.

The right-hand edge 16 of the sheet C is provided with a plurality of tabs, in the present instance 3, designated 40a, 40b, 40c adapted to be inserted when the sheet is folded in the manner contemplated in slits or slots 42a, 42b, 42c respectively, which slits are formed in the body portion of the sheet C inwardly of the right-hand edge 18 and in line with the score lines 30d, 34d and 38d, respectively. The distance between the score lines 32a, 36a and the left-hand edge 16 is equal to the distance between the adjacent ends of the slits of the various pairs.

The construction described is such that the bottom and top edges 12 and 14 and the various slits and score lines of the sheet define five rows of display or advertising areas, designated 50a, 50b, 50c, 50d, and 52a, 52b, 52c, 52d, and 54a, 54b, 54c, 54d, and 56a, 56b, 56c, 56d and 58a, 58b, 58c, 58d. The left and right-hand sides of the display area 52d and 56d are defined by the score lines 32a, 32d and 36a, 36d, respectively. The four display or advertising areas of each row represent the four vertical sides of a box or carton of the character heretofore referred to and alternate areas are therefore of equal size.

The top edge of the body portion of the sheet is provided with a rectangular section 60 connected thereto by a score line 62. The width of the section 60 is equal to the width of the display area 58d and the length of the section 60 is equal to the width of the display area 580. The free end of the section 60 is provided with a box flap 64 connected to the area 60 by fold lines 66. The section or flap 60 forms a closure for the top of the display device A when the sheet is folded and assembled in the illustrated manner. A similar closure member can be provided for the lower end of the device A, if desired.

From the foregoing the manner of folding the sheet C and forming the display device A should be evident. Suffice it to say that the sheet is folded along the different score lines, as il-.

lustrated in FIG. 2. The tabs 40a to 40 are inserted in the slots 42a to 420, respectively, and the tab 64 is inserted into the upper end of the tubular assembly adjacent to the display area 58b. As previously mentioned, the display A, illustrated, gives the appearance of four boxes placed one upon the other in a staggered or offset relation when it is rested upon a horizontal support. The device may be hung horizontally from an overhead support and thus used as a mobile. To facilitate such use the body portion of the sheet is provided with a pair of cutaways a, 80b near the right-hand edge 18 of the body section of the sheet adapted to be projected through short slits 72a, 82b near the left-hand edge 16 of the body portion of the sheet. When not used to suspend the display device A from an overhead support, the cutaways 70a, 70b can be retained in the plane of the sheet or can be projected through the slits 72a, 72b and bent parallel with the plane of the sheet, as illustrated in Fig. 4 of the drawings.

The product display and/or advertising device shown in H0. 5 is similar to that shown in the preceding figures but of modified construction and the corresponding parts are designated by the same reference characters with the prefix l added thereto. The display 1A, shown in FIG. 5, is pyramidical in shape and simulates a stack of 5 product boxes, 181, to 185, or the like, of increasing size from bottom to top. The two halves of the body portion 110 of the sheet or blank 1C of the display 1A are mirror images of one another and the sheet 1C is cut and scored similar to the sheet C of display A except that all of the cuts and scores are inclined with respect to the center line of the sheet or blank 1C corresponding to the center line 49 of the sheet or blank C such that the scores converge toward the upper end of the blank and the cuts are inclined upwardly as do the top and bottom edges of the body portion of the blank as they diverge from the center line. The side edges 116 and 118 also converge towards the upper edge of the sheet. The score lines 132b, 132d, 1361: and 136d, however, are at right angles to the cut lines 122a and 122b of the blank 1C.

While the invention has been embodied in a device having the appearance of five rectangular boxes placed one upon the other, it is to be understood that the invention may be otherwise embodied, for example, the boxes depicted could be cubical, of different height or of other dimensions.

Other modifications of the devices disclosed will be apparent, such as, increasing or decreasing the height of any of the rows of display areas of simulate boxes of different size or merely advertising copy areas between boxes.

While preferred embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in considerable detail, the invention, as previously indicated, is not limited to the preferred constructions shown, and it is the intention to hereby cover all adaptations, modifications and use of the disclosed product display and/or advertising device which come within the practice of those skilled in the art of the invention and within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described, my invention What I claim is:

1. As an article of commerce a sheet of foldable board material having continuous, straight bottom, top and side edges, two straight slits arranged lengthwise of one another and spaced inwardly from said bottom edge and from one another and said side edges, a first discrete series of at least four straight score lines extending in directions transversely of said bottom edge and terminating at said slits with alternate score lines terminating intermediate the ends of said slits and at the ends of said slits, and a second discrete series of at least four straight score lines extending in directions transversely of said bottom edge and terminating at said slits, said score lines of said second series being at the opposite side of said slits from said score lines of said first series and alternate score lines terminating intermediate the ends of said slits and at the ends of said slits, said score lines of said first and second series being offset from one another, a plurality of tabs projecting from one side edge, and slits adjacent to the other side edge adapted to receive said tabs.

2. As an article of commerce a sheet of foldable board material having continuous straight, bottom, top and side edges, two straight slits arranged lengthwise of one another and parallel with said bottom edge and spaced from one another and said side edges, a first discrete series of at least four straight parallel score lines extending normal to said bottom edge and terminating at said slits with alternate score lines terminating intermediate the ends of said slits and at the ends of said slits, and a second discrete series of at least four straight parallel score lines extending normal to said bottom edge and terminating at said slits, said score lines of said second series beirtg at the opposite side of said slits from said score lines of san first series and alternate score lines terminating intermediate the ends of said slits and at the ends of said slits, said score lines of said first and second series being offset from one another.

3. As an article of commerce a sheet of foldable board material comprising a polygonal body portion having continuous, straight bottom, top and side edges, said body portion having two straight slits arranged lengthwise of one another and parallel with said bottom edge and spaced from one another and said side edges, a first discrete series of at least four straight parallel score lines extending normal to said bottom edge and terminating at said slits with alternate score lines terminating intermediate the ends of said slits and at the ends of said slits, a second discrete series of at least four straight parallel score lines extending normal to said bottom edge and terminating at said slits, said score lines of said second series being at the opposite side of said slits from said score lines of said first series and alternate score lines terminating intermediate the ends of said slits and the ends of said slits, said score lines of said first and second series being offset from one another, a plurality of tabs projecting from one side edge, and slits adjacent to the other side edge adapted to receive said tabs.

4. A geometrical display and/or advertising device simulating a plurality of non-aligned rectangular blocks or cartons resting one upon another formed of a folded sheet of board material having continuous, straight bottom, top and side edges, two straight slits arranged lengthwise of one another and parallel with said bottom edge and spaced from one another and said side edges, a first discrete series of at least four straight parallel score lines extending normal said bottom edge and terminating at said slits with alternate score lines terminating intermediate the ends of said slits and at the ends of said slits, and a second discrete series of at least four straight parallel score lines extending normal to said bottom edge and terminating at said slits, said score lines of said second series being at the opposite side of said slits from said score lines of said first series and alternate score lines terminating intermediate the ends of said slits and at the ends of said slits, said score lines of said first and second series being offset from one another, and means adjacent to said side edges securing the same together. 

1. As an article of commerce a sheet of foldable board material having continuous, straight bottom, top and side edges, two straight slits arranged lengthwise of one another and spaced inwardly from said bottom edge and from one another and said side edges, a first discrete series of at least four straight score lines extending in directions transversely of said bottom edge and terminating at said slits with alternate score lines terminating intermediate the ends of said slits and at the ends of said slits, and a second discrete series of at least four straight score lines extending in directions transversely of said bottom edge and terminating at said slits, said score lines of said second series being at the opposite side of said slits from said score lines of said first series and alternate score lines terminating intermediate the ends of said slits and at the ends of said slits, said score lines of said first and second series being offset from one another, a plurality of tabs projecting from one side edge, and slits adjacent to the other side edge adapted to receive said tabs.
 2. As an article of commerce a sheet of foldable board material having continuous straight, bottom, top and side edges, two straight slits arranged lengthwise of one another and parallel with said bottom edge and spaced from one another and said side edges, a first discrete series of at least four straight parallel score lines extending normal to said bottom edge and terminating at said slits with alternate score lines terminating intermediate the ends of said slits and at the ends of said slits, and a second discrete series of at least four straight parallel score lines extending normal to said bottom edge and terminating at said slits, said score lines of said second series being at the opposite side of said slits from said score lines of said first series and alternate score lines terminating intermediate the ends of said slits and at the ends of said slits, said score lines of said first and second series being offset from one another.
 3. As an article of commerce a sheet of foldable board material comprising a polygonal body portion having continuous, straight bottom, top and side edges, said body portion having two straight slits arranged lengthwise of one another and parallel with said bottom edge and spaced from one another and said side edges, a first discrete series of at least four straight parallel score lines extending normal to said bottom edge and terminating at said slits with alternate score lines terminating intermediate the ends of said slits and at the ends of said slits, a second discrete series of at least four straight parallel score lines extending normal to said bottom edge and terminating at said slits, said score lines of said second series being at the opposite side of said slits from said score lines of said first series and alternate score lines terminating intermediate the ends of said slits and the ends of said slits, said score lines of said first and second series being offset from one another, a plurality of tabs projecting from one side edge, and slits adjacent to the other side edge adapted to receive said tabs.
 4. A geometrical display and/or advertising device simulating a plurality of non-aligned rectangular blocks or cartons resting one upon another formed of a folded sheet of board material having continuous, straight bottom, top and side edges, two straight slits arranged lengthwise of one another and parallel with said bottom edge and spaced from one another and said side edges, a first discrete series of at least four straight parallel score lines extending normal said bottom edge and terminating at said slits with alternate score lines terminating intermediate the ends of said slits and at the ends of said slits, and a second discrete series of at least four straight parallel score lines extending normal to said bottom edge and terminating at said slits, said score lines of said second series being at the opposite side of said slits from said score lines of said first series and alternate score lines terminating intermediate the ends of said slits and at the ends of said slits, said score lines of said first and second series being offset from one another, and means adjacent to said side edges securing the same together. 